New Grand Designs Exhibition comes to Australia

A new live exhibition based on the hugely successful UK reality television show Grand Designs hits Australia for the first time this week – proving the continuing traction of live events as marketing channels.

Held at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre from 21-23 October, the inaugural Grand Designs Australia Live Exhibition is an official extension of the high-rating UK home renovation and design TV show, and of the all-new Australian series of the same name, hosted by Peter Maddison.

Demonstrating the enormous potential for creating new marketing channels connected with high-rating television programs, Grand Designs Australia Live will showcase the best in architecture and design for the home.

Organised by Diversified Exhibitions, the event has over 220 exhibitors, and is expected to attract an audience of over 20,000 consumers

Grand Designs Australia Live proves not only the possible connections between television and live events, but also the continuing power and flexibility of exhibitions as marketing channels. Businesses seeking reach into new markets have an unparalleled opportunity for high-impact, face-to-face contact with consumers, and benefit from having their brands associated with this hugely popular lifestyle television show.

Joyce DiMascio, General Manager of the Exhibition and Event Association of Australasia (EEAA), said, “Grand Designs Australia Live is an exciting new exhibition that capitalises on the current national passion for home improvements.”

“This exhibition shows that television and live events are not mutually exclusive marketing channels – there is an enormous potential to leverage off the success of one channel and create opportunity in another. It demonstrates that exhibitions work effectively as a marketing tool that can connect to already successful products – television lifestyle programs, in this case. Exhibitions can give businesses access to leverage off new markets attached to other, already established marketing channels.”

“It also demonstrates that live events are a very flexible marketing tool – consumer experience can be created around any subject matter, and then the trade exhibition can be executed around this. With live events, businesses can deliver outstanding face-to-face experiences that can’t be delivered anywhere else.”

“Australia is one of the world’s leading business events destinations, and this event will help to uphold our international reputation in this field.”

EEAA will be staging its own networking event at Grand Designs Australia Live, giving EEAA members the opportunity to gain a behind-the-scenes insight into the Grand Designs phenomenon.

Grand Designs Australia Live will be held from 21-23 October at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre.